Anula’s Teaser in a dress

Anula Maiberg (30) co-owns Sixth Street Pilates in the East Village in New York City. Anula was born in Israel and moved to NYC in 2001 in order to pursue a career in photography. While working on her degree at the School of Visual Arts she fell in love with Pilates through the classes and private sessions she took at Sixth Street Pilates.

When and why did you start practicing Pilates?

After college and a few years at a “desk” job I realized happiness wasn’t in front of the computer screen. I decided to attended the Kane School for Core Integration to become fully certified on Pilates apparatus. After a few years of teaching I’m now the co-owner (with Jeremy Laverdure) of Sixth Street Pilates where it all began. I am also currently finishing up the Kathy S. Grant Heritage Training in Denver CO. under Cara Reeser of Pilates Aligned.

Can you introduce your co-owner Jeremy Laverdure?

Jeremy Laverdure has been teaching The Pilates Method since 2002. One of the first trainers at Sixth Street Pilates, he assumed ownership of the studio in 2007. Jeremy is certified to teach Pilates through the Pilates Center of Boulder and has done extensive continuing education with master teacher Cara Reeser at Pilates Aligned in Denver, CO. His teaching is informed by many years of yoga practice and dance training, and by his studies with Barbara Mahler.

“I’m no fitness model. I can’t and won’t compete with them. So I decided to just be myself. My style. My personality. With all my imperfections. My love of the Method gives me the confidence to move every day. Often times folks doubt I’m a Pilates instructor. That doesn’t bother me. I’d rather they just see me on the Mat.” photo by Emily Johnston

Where did you receive your Pilates education(s) and who was your teacher?

I chose the Kathy Grant Heritage program because her work, from my understanding, was so subtle at times and refined which compliments my approach to fitness which can be much more aggressive at times. Like I mentioned I am developing an empathy and patience which has helped me mature as a young instructor. Plus the work is freaking HARD! and the challenge is highly rewarding. I get to work with Cara who is a constant inspiration and the groups who are attending the program are some of the more brilliant and accomplished teachers in the field.

I consider my main influences Kelly Kane, Matt McCulloch, Cara Reeser, Jeremy Laverdure, Benjamin Degenhardt and Jose Ruiz. They all have very different approaches to the Method and keep me on my toes. As a fairly new instructor I have a need to go back and understand the original work of Mr. Pilates and at the same time I am curious to know where the work is heading. Pilates is a living thing. In my opinion it has room to innovate and expand.

Do you participate in workshops on a regular basis?

I do participate in workshops on a regular basis. Currently I am finishing up the Kathy S. Grant Heritage Training. Ms. Grant had a melodic way of teaching which I am privileged to see through archival movies. Cara Reeser’s interpretation of the work will change how I teach my clients and classes forever. I am developing and empathy I don’t think I had before and a patience that will carry me through my career.

Anula’s favorite exercise: Open Leg Rocker

What is your favorite Pilates exercise?

My favorite exercise is the Open Leg Rocker. Its dynamic but very precise. It has an elegance and a proud quality to it. It always shows me what my students are made of.

Do you have a target audience?

I think my target audience are those who are willing to take responsibility for their workouts WITH me. I am happy to guide folks through an hour of movement in a class or a session but ultimately they are in charge of how they move and how much they would like to bring to the work. Its a combined effort and mutual respect.

How many lessons do you teach per week?

I generally work 20 hours a week. I only teach on average one group class a week and the rest are one-on-one sessions. For the last two years I have been teaching a class called Fight Club. It’s not really Pilates but all who attended I consider “advanced students” so they have a very strong foundation so we can get totally crazy. I actually love large group classes and creating a sense of community and getting through the tough stuff together. The one-on-one session is more personal and rewarding in the sense of the progress made week to week or over years.

Can you tell something more about Fight Club?

I wanted to take the skills we learn in Pilates (control, endurance, flexibility) and test them in a partnering class. Can we use another person as the apparatus? Can New Yorkers who are so used to not making eye contact get sweaty with one another forcing them to communicate and create a community aka a club. The result was magically successful. The students who attended Fight Club for the last two years are friends for life. They felt accountable for one another. They spotted one another and helped each other do things they didn’t think we ever possible.

Who is your favorite person you want to teach?

My favorite people to teach are the teachers I know and especially ones who work at Sixth Street. We all know each other’s strengths and weaknesses. That means we can joke around and make things super challenging and fun. We also love “stealing” each other’s ideas or sequences. Its very flattering to see and peer I respect teach in a similar way to me and I am sure that feeling is mutual across the board at my studio.

Beautiful Anula!

What is your opinion about the future of Pilates?

I would like to think that the future of Pilates is similar to the evolution of all things. The more we know about the body’s anatomy and injury prevention the more we can tailor an hour of movement to support the structure of individual bodies. This is not going against the Classical work. Its going in parallel to it. I think there is a new generation of instructors coming up. Each with their own point of view and their own lineage. My hope is that instead of clinging to a style or feeling competitive we can support one another and harbor a culture of sharing ideas. A community of peers would be an ideal Pilates world.

Pilates by Deneka Peniston — with Anula Maiberg, Benjamin Stuber, Danielle King, Allie Lochary, Jeremy Laverdure, Amy Larson, Devika Wickremesinghe, Allison DeVane and Greg Youdan.

525 EAST 6TH STREET
BETWEEN AVE. A & AVE. B

New York City

(212) 677-5545

info@sixthstreetpilatesny.com